On October 17, 2024, the Archangel Michael Cathedral in Cherkasy was captured by militants of the schismatic structure "PCU". As a result of the attack, clergy and parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were injured.
Believers were poisoned with tear gas, many of them had corneal burns from the poisonous substance. According to the telegram channel of the Cherkasy diocese, more than 10 parishioners of the cathedral were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity, several dozen parishioners are undergoing outpatient treatment.
Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanevsky suffered greatly. During the attack, he was beaten, his hood was torn off, and the bishop's baton was snatched out, which was used to strike believers.
The bishop was diagnosed with a concussion of the brain, burns of the cornea of both eyes of the first degree and burns of the skin.
"Vladyka has been prescribed treatment and strict bed rest. Nevertheless, despite the grave state of His Eminence's health, SBU officers came to the metropolitan today with a document demanding to strengthen the arrest of the hierarch, changing it from night to round-the-clock. The obvious purpose of such actions seems to be the desire to prevent Metropolitan Theodosius from seeing his Cherkasy flock and protecting it from the legal lawlessness of local officials and militant attacks. This request of the SBU will be considered in court," the diocese said in a statement on October 19.